The San Francisco 49ers will undoubtedly be doing extensive homework on wide receiver prospects ahead of the 2026 NFL Draft.

The team is widely expected to part ways with Brandon Aiyuk, while Jauan Jennings, Kendrick Bourne, and Skyy Moore are all scheduled to become free agents. If all of those departures occur, the 49ers could end up with very little depth at the position.


Addressing the wide receiver position in the draft could become a necessity. Two recent mock drafts project the 49ers targeting the same player with the No. 27 overall pick: former Indiana wide receiver Omar Cooper Jr.

Cooper (6-0, 204) spent four seasons at Indiana. During his collegiate career, he recorded 115 receptions for 1,798 yards and 22 receiving touchdowns, according to Sports Reference. He also added 97 rushing yards and two rushing touchdowns, along with 63 kick return yards.

Ryan Wilson of CBS Sports released his seventh 2026 NFL mock draft and believes Cooper would be an ideal fit in head coach Kyle Shanahan's offense.

"We'll see what happens with Jauan Jennings in San Francisco, but Brandon Aiyuk may have played his last snap," Wilson wrote. "As it stands, the WR room includes Ricky Pearsall, Demarcus Robinson, Jordan Watkins, and Jacob Cowing under contract … and that's it. There's a need at guard too, but Cooper Jr. feels like a Kyle Shanahan-type receiver."

In 2025, Cooper recorded 69 receptions for 937 yards and a career-high 13 receiving touchdowns, helping Indiana secure a College Football Playoff national championship. He earned second-team All-Big Ten honors.


Matt Maiocco of NBC Sports Bay Area also recently released a mock draft projecting the 49ers to select Cooper at No. 27.

"Cooper is a darn-near perfect fit with his route-running, body control, and temperament," Maiocco noted.

At the NFL Scouting Combine, the 6-foot, 199-pound receiver posted a 4.42-second 40-yard dash, a 37-inch vertical jump, and a 1.55-second 10-yard split. Interestingly, his skill set has drawn comparisons to former 49ers standout Deebo Samuel.

Projected No. 1 overall pick Fernando Mendoza praised his former Indiana teammate's skill set.

"The body control he has is crazy," Mendoza said, via Matt Barrows of The Athletic. "He's like a prime Deebo Samuel. … He has great body control, great hands, can play any position on the field. To have him as a receiver that can be a gadget guy, can also take it deep, and also great routes and hands, especially for the quarterback, he helped make me this year."

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